See what kitchen exhaust hood cleaning costs per visit and per year, based on your kitchen type and the cleaning frequency the fire code requires.
Last reviewed October 2026 · How we calculate estimates
Hood cleaning isn't optional. NFPA 96, the fire code most fire marshals and insurers enforce, sets how often a kitchen exhaust system must be inspected and cleaned based on what you cook. That makes the real number to budget the annual cost: price per visit times the number of visits your kitchen needs.
| Cost breakdown | Range |
|---|
| Kitchen type | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Small café or light-use single hood | $300 – $700 |
| Standard full-service restaurant | $450 – $1,200 |
| High-volume or multi-hood restaurant | $600 – $1,800 |
| Hotel, hospital, casino or complex system | $1,000 – $3,500+ |
Source: National Hood Cleaners, 2026 pricing data.
| Cooking operation | Inspection interval |
|---|---|
| Solid-fuel cooking (wood, charcoal) | Monthly |
| High-volume cooking (24-hour, charbroiling, wok) | Quarterly |
| Moderate-volume cooking | Twice a year |
| Low-volume cooking (churches, seasonal businesses) | Once a year |
The system is inspected at these intervals and cleaned when grease buildup is found, so in practice most kitchens are cleaned on this schedule. Your local fire marshal or insurer can require more frequent service.
A full-service restaurant with a charbroiler falls under high-volume cooking, so it needs quarterly service. At $450 – $1,200 per visit nationally, that's about $1,800 – $4,800 a year. In California the per-visit price rises to about $500 – $1,330, or $1,990 – $5,310 a year.
A standard cleaning covers the hood, filters, ductwork and exhaust fan. These are commonly quoted separately:
Our guide to NFPA 96 hood cleaning requirements explains each of these, including the written report you should receive after every cleaning.
Your kitchen type selects a published per-visit price range. The yearly figure multiplies that range by the visits per year for the NFPA 96 frequency you choose (12, 4, 2 or 1), and the result is adjusted by your state's BEA Regional Price Parity if you pick a state. See our methodology.
Restaurant hood cleaning typically costs $300 to $1,800 per visit. A small café runs $300 to $700, a standard full-service restaurant $450 to $1,200, and a high-volume or multi-hood kitchen $600 to $1,800. Large complex systems can exceed $3,500.
Under NFPA 96, kitchens using solid fuel are inspected monthly, high-volume kitchens quarterly, moderate-volume kitchens twice a year, and low-volume kitchens once a year. Local fire officials can require more.
For a standard full-service restaurant on a quarterly schedule, expect roughly $1,800 to $4,800 a year nationally. A moderate-volume kitchen cleaned twice a year spends about half that.
No. Fire suppression systems are inspected separately, usually every six months, by a licensed fire protection company.